Green power may keep lid on electric bills

HOUSEHOLD electricity bills would rise by just $1.23 a week -
and still be among the cheapest in the world - if Australia took 25
per cent of its power from renewable sources, a report to be
published today says.

A mandatory renewable energy target of 25 per cent by 2020
combined with energy efficiency measures could deliver at least
16,600 new jobs, $33 billion in new investment and 15,000 megawatts
of new renewable energy capacity, according to work done by a
consortium of environment groups.

That could lead to a cut in greenhouse gas emissions in the
electricity sector of 69 million tonnes, or close to the amount of
emissions from road transport nationally, says the report by the
Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace and the Climate
Action Network.

It says it would also supply enough renewable electricity to
power every home in Australia.

"It will cost Australia dearly to allow electricity use to
continue spiralling out of control," said the foundation's
executive director, Don Henry.

"With current projections, our electricity use could rise by
nearly 30 per cent over the next 14 years.

"If we don't take action the average household electricity bill
could increase by hundreds of dollars. Legislating a renewable
energy target of 25 per cent, coupled with energy efficiency
measures, could actually save Australian households around $84 each
year on their electricity bills."

Energy efficiency measures that would be necessary would include
improving the efficiency of fossil fuel power stations,
significantly increasing cogeneration (production of electricity
and useful thermal energy simultaneously from a common fuel
source), and switching to other less climate-change polluting fuels
such as gas, the report says.

Under current projections for business-as-usual electricity use
average household electricity bills could rise by $234 a year.